Beware the Psychoactive Swamp Powder

Title: Come Back to the SwampAuthor: Laura MorrisonGenre: Weird/Horror?Pages: 108Rating: 4 of 5Future Release Date: 8/7/18 (Thank you to the author and publisher for giving me a free eARC in exchange for a review – this in no way influences the content of the review)

When I saw that the author described herself as having “a bachelor’s degree in applied ecology and environmental science,” I was a bit worried that this novella might turn out to be little more than preachy environmentalist propaganda. Thankfully, that was not the case at all. Environmental issues contribute naturally to the creepy, unsettling plot and there is no heavy-handed attempt to scare or guilt the reader into some sort of activism (though I suppose the whole thing could be an extended metaphor for how you can get sucked into environmental causes).

Our protagonist, Bernice, is a grad student who is doing field working on her ecology degree (by clearing invasive species in Cleary Swamp) when she runs into a crazy old woman who claims to be the swamp…a crazy old woman who might be looking for a successor. What follows includes the pressures of being a grad student, space opera, psychoactive swamp powder, and the implacable will of nature.

The narration is frequently humorous but by the second half there is a continually mounting dread that the author pulls off very well. As with any novella, the low page count leaves some issues unexplored (e.g. what does the scary swamp lady do besides mess with poor Bernice?), but it was a satisfyingly creepy read.